Born to Fly: reviews

What the critics say average 5.3 from 16 outlets

• 7.5 Critic's NotebookSarah Manvel Not just an idea of masculinity that's literally unimaginable from an American perspective. This is a willingness to demonstrate the human cost of war that American movies have not been interested in for some time. Read
• 7.5 NYC Movie GuruAvi Offer The visual effects in 'Born to Fly' are absolutely stunning to behold. It's a rush of pure adrenaline that provides palpable excitement, especially if you watch the film on the big screen. Read
• 7.5 Aisle SeatMike McGranaghan Despite a lack of originality, if you like Tony Scott's 1986 blockbuster and Joseph Kosinski's 2022 sequel and want to see something similar, this movie is pretty darned fun. Read
• 6.5 Cinema CrazedEmilie Black 'Born to Fly' is a decently made film, something that is at almost all levels, with strong cinematography, one with a slightly predictable story, but also a film that is easy to come back to and rewatch. Read
• 6.0 Elements of MadnessDouglas Davidson Explores a different perspective in military aviation, making for a fresh take on the fighter pilot action drama. Read
• 6.0 South China Morning PostJames Marsh 'Born to Fly' is a perfectly respectable Chinese crowd pleaser, juggling its prerequisite jingoism with enough crises of confidence and flyboy rivalries to keep audiences engaged. Read
• 6.0 Windows on WorldsHayley Scanlon Jingoistic it may be but Liu manages to sell the aerial spectacle and sense of danger as his elite pilots risk all in the name of patriotism. Read
• 5.8 Dennis Schwartz Movie ReviewsDennis Schwartz Never caught my interest. Read
• 5.5 But Why Tho?Kate Sánchez Despite a great performance from Wang Yibo, 'Born to Fly' can't reach a steady altitude. Read
• 5.0 The People's MoviesRobert Ewing While I do not regret watching it, I also would not rush to see it again. Read
• 4.0 The GuardianPhil Hoad Liu almost manages to throttle up how Lei and the instructors push themselves and their planes into something dramatically interesting, but it never ignites. In the meantime, this is less a movie, more a flying foreign policy document. Read
• 4.0 Culture MixCarla Hay 'Born to Fly' goes down a very simplistic and generic path in this often-trite story about fighter pilots. Some of the aerial scenes look good, but when the story is on the ground, much of the dialogue and acting performances are a little cringeworthy. Read
• 3.8 Movie NationRoger Moore I’ve seen just enough recent Chinese cinema to see “Born to Fly” as a bit cheesier than most exports, but only on the edges of the rank propaganda of some Chinese war films, which span most wars China has fought, from ancient times to Korea. Read
• 3.8 Spectrum CultureTanner Gordon In spite of decent performances, it becomes depressingly obvious that Xiaoshi's film is barely interested in crafting a story as much as it is advertising one specific model of plane. Read
• 3.0 The China ProjectAmarsanaa Battulga Caught between a bare-bones script, bland visuals, and bellicose nationalism, the story of China's elite test pilots is destined to crash and burn. Read
• 3.0 Film LegacyDaniel Eagan Deeply patriotic and extremely silly, it's propaganda devoid of suspense, humor, and credible characterizations. Read